Shafaqna English- King Charles and Pope Leo pray together for the first time in 500 years during a visit to the Vatican.
Uk’s King and Queen arrived in the holy city on Wednesday (22 Oct 2025) to meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time following his election as Head of Catholic Church.
King Charles, Queen Camilla and Pope Leo were joined by Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, for an ecumenical service in the Sistine Chapel.
Prior to the joint service, King Charles and Pope Leo spoke together in the papal library, before exchanging gifts to mark the King’s visit.
King Charles presented the Pope with an Icon of St Edward the Confessor, an 11th-century English king renowned for his devotion to the Catholic faith.
In return, Pope Leo gifted King Charles a scale version of a mosaic of Christ Pantocrator – it depicts Jesus in a Normal cathedral in Sicily.
The King also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who became the first papal representative to attend the coronation of a British monarch in 500 years when he accepted an invitation to the crowning of King Charles in 2023.
Sources: Sky News